For meeting the research objectives, 12 independent, yet interrelated, experimental studies will be conducted. The experimental method is considered to be the most appropriate for testing causal relationships and complies fully with the objectives of the SustAIn project.
Three studies will be conducted to address each one of the research objectives as depicted in the following table.
| STUDY | CONTENT | OBJECTIVE |
| Study 1 | Test the effectiveness of different types of AI-enabled decision information nudges, either separately or in combination. | RO1a |
| Study 2 | Test for mediating psychological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision information nudges. | RO1a, RO2 |
| Study 3 | Test for boundary conditions and factors moderating the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision information nudges. | RO1a, RO3 |
| Study 4 | Test the effectiveness of different types of AI-enabled decision structure nudges, either separately or in combination. | RO1b |
| Study 5 | Test for mediating psychological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision structure nudges. | RO1b, RO2 |
| Study 6 | Test for boundary conditions and factors moderating the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision structure. | RO1b, RO3 |
| Study 7 | Test the effectiveness of different types of AI-enabled decision assistance nudges, either separately or in combination. | RO1c |
| Study 8 | Test for mediating psychological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision assistance nudges. | RO1c, RO2 |
| Study 9 | Test for boundary conditions and factors moderating the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision assistance. | RO1c, RO3 |
| Study 10 | Test the effectiveness of different types of AI-enabled decision appeal nudges, either separately or in combination. | RO1d |
| Study 11 | Test for mediating psychological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision appeal nudges. | RO1d, RO2 |
| Study 12 | Test for boundary conditions and factors moderating the effectiveness of AI-enabled decision appeal. | RO1d, RO3 |
Table 1. Content and objectives addressed by experimental studies.
Realistic simulations of different types of nudging in AI-mediated environments will be used. The exact experimental paradigms to be employed in each study will emerge through the systematic review of the literature as well as by means of preliminary testing. Extensive pretesting will be used prior to each study for the development of appropriate experimental stimuli and for the development of nudging manipulations (independent variables). Measures of consumer responses will include choice, preference, attitudes, intentions and proximal behavioral indices. Standard operationalizations of these (dependent) variables will be used, adjusted where appropriate.
Participants will be recruited through online research panels and samples provided by commercial research platforms (e.g. Qualtrics).An estimated total of 120-200 participants are expected to be require